Loving Lily

by Marie E. Blossom

  He smiled at her, steadying his bike with his hand. "It's a nice place. Quiet. And we're not far from Lebanon in New Hampshire, so there's places to go if you need to get away from the trees. " He waved a hand to indicate the woods all around them.

  Lily kicked her rock again. "I think I would like some quiet. "

  "Where are you from?" He forced his eyes away from her cleavage yet again.

  "I used to live in New York, then Philadelphia. " She shrugged. "It was time for a change. I thought of going to California, but I didn't feel like dealing with rockslides and wildfires. "

  He laughed. "California isn't all mudslides and earthquakes. And sometimes we get wildfires here, when it isn’t flooding. "

  She lifted a shoulder. "Yeah, I know. No place is perfect. Have you been to California?" she asked, sending the rock down the road again.

  He wondered how she managed to kick it without stubbing her toes. "I've visited. Some parts are unpleasant and smoggy, like LA, but some parts are beautiful. The Sacramento Valley is gorgeous. "

  She stopped, biting her lip. "So why didn't you move there?"

  He glanced at her, fixating on where she was still chewing on her lip. God. Her mouth was wet and pink and he had a sudden urge to kiss her until neither of them could breathe. Did she have any idea how sexy she looked when she did that? He kicked his brain into gear and answered her question. "I went all over the world when I was in the military. When I quit ten years ago, I wanted to come home. "

  "You were in the military?" she asked, walking again, as if she hadn’t just been tormenting him with her mouth.

  Matt followed. He could see her car with the flat tire just around the curve up ahead. "Yeah. Navy SEALs. " He didn't elaborate. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about that. Instead, he deflected. "So, what do you do for a living that you can just pick up and move to the middle of nowhere?"

  She tossed him a grin. "You won't believe me. "

  His eyebrows lifted. "Oh yeah?"

  "No one ever does," she said, stopping by her car. She kicked the tire. "Stupid car. "

  He dropped his bicycle in the grass on the side of the road and joined her, leaning on the side of her car. The blue paint was hot from the sun, but it felt good on his sore backside. He'd taken a few too many hills this morning on his bike and his muscles were already beginning to protest. "Tell me anyway. "

  She sighed, running a hand through her hair. The brown strands caught the sun, flashing reddish highlights. Matt watched her tuck it behind her ear. "I’ve done pretty much everything: waitressing, administrative work, I even spent a year doing fieldwork for the EPA. ”

  He stared at her in disbelief.

  “I’m serious. About ten years ago, I went back to school and got a teaching degree. I spent a few years teaching math as an adjunct professor. Then my parents died, and my grandparents, and I found that if I was careful, I could live off of my inheritance. ” She shrugged. “I don’t need much. ”

  He blinked. "You're a math teacher. " Damn, he thought privately. She's smart, too. And she doesn’t need my money.

  "You don't believe me?" Her voice took on an edge.

  He held up his hands. "Oh, no. I believe you. "

  She eyed him skeptically.

  "Please don't hurt me," he added plaintively.

  She burst out laughing. "You're, like, ten feet tall! I'd have to climb up you like a tree and bash you in the head to hurt you. " She tilted her head. “Even then I think you’d probably survive. ”

  He grinned, even while he fought down his cock's sudden interest. It was the image of her climbing him that had him sweating. He wanted her to do that. He wanted her to climb all over him. Oh boy, he thought, angling his body sideways so that she wouldn't see his erection. She has no idea how beautiful she is, does she?

  She kept laughing, her pretty brown eyes sparkling. Matt shook his head, clearing it of all the dirty things he wanted to let her do to him. He was about to reply when his brother's truck came around the corner. Saved by the pickup, he thought ruefully.

  Alex drove up, checked out the situation, then did a u-turn, backing up until his tow truck was almost touching her SUV. He cut the engine and hopped out.

  Matt waited for the inevitable exclamation from Lily. It wasn't long coming.

  "Holy crap! There are two of you," she said incredulously.

  Chapter Two

  Lily looked from Matt to his brother. They were twins. Identical twins, she told herself. From their messy dark hair, to their hazel eyes, to their ridiculously hot bodies, they were exactly the same. If his brother hadn't been wearing jeans and a red t-shirt, she wouldn't be able to tell them apart.

  "Alex, hey. Glad you could finally make it. We were about to go off into the woods to hunt for our food," Matt joked.

  Alex rolled his eyes. "Oh please. It's only been ten minutes since you called. "

  "We're famished. And hot. And thirsty," Matt complained, smiling.

  Lily chuckled when Alex walked over and cuffed his brother upside the head.

  "Stop being such a crybaby. Just because you get to laze around all day writing your books doesn't mean the rest of us have to jump when you call. " Alex tried to cuff Matt again, but this time his brother ducked and poked him in the waist. Alex twisted away, laughing.

  "Lily, this is my useless brother Alex. Alex, this is Lily, damsel in distress. "

  Alex wiped his hand on his pants and held it out to her. "Pleased to meet you. "

  Lily shook his hand, so like his brother's. Well, except for the grease, she thought. "Likewise. " She let him go and turned to her car. "So, can you get me to town? I've got a room waiting for me at a bed and breakfast. "

  "You're at Betsy's?" Alex asked.

  Lily nodded. "Yes. Betsy's Bed and Breakfast. " She snorted. "With a name like that, how could I resist?"

  "You won't regret it," Matt said. "Betsy's omelets are to die for. "

  Lily looked at him. He was checking out her flat tire with more concentration than it warranted. An ex Navy SEAL who writes books? She wondered if he'd read any of Matt Swift's novels. She loved those thrillers, not that she'd had time recently to read, what with selling the house and packing up her entire life. He was crouched down now, checking something out under her car. She wanted to go over and poke him so he'd pay attention to her again. But you're a grownup and in control of your baser urges, she told herself. Right?

  "It looks like just your front tire so I'll have you hooked up and ready to go in a few minutes," Alex said, walking over and kicking his brother in the thigh.

  Matt twisted around and glared.

  "Come on. Help me with the chains. "

  Fifteen minutes later Lily sat squeezed in between the two men in the front of the tow truck. The men had thrown Matt's bike on the back and the three of them were heading into town. Her right thigh pressed up against Matt's in a way that was making her sweat more than the warm weather called for. She lifted her hair off the back of her neck for a moment, wishing she'd put it in a ponytail that morning.

  "Sorry about the AC. It broke a while ago and I haven't had time to fix it," Alex said, obviously noticing her lame attempt to cool down.

  "It's okay. There's a nice breeze today," Lily replied. How to explain that it wasn't the temperature that had her flushing? Hmm, don't explain it. Just pretend you're fine, she told herself.

  Matt shifted in the seat. Lily tried very hard not to stare at his legs and failed. The thick muscles in his thighs flexed as he adjusted his shorts. Again. She wondered if he had a wedgie or something.

  "I'm glad the heat wave broke a couple days ago," he said, his leg rubbing up against hers. "It would be way hotter in here if it hadn't. "

  Lily clamped down on the low buzz of arousal zipping through her. Now was not the time to develop a useless crush. Though it's funny how Matt is the one who's turning my crank, when both brothers look the same, she thought, bemused as Matt shifted again. Maybe it's because I met him first? />
  "Are you okay?" she finally asked him when he'd moved his leg against hers for the fourth or fifth time.

  He froze. "Uh, yeah. Why?"

  "You're fidgeting," Lily said, not sure how he'd react. If there was one thing she'd learned in her forty years, it was that men liked to pretend they were infallible. Absently, her eyes fell to his groin. Oh, whoa. How had she missed that before? He was packing some serious heat. No wonder he kept moving around. There wasn't enough space in his shorts for his junk.

  "I'm fine," he said, sounding strained.

  Alex threw him a confused look. When Matt shot an irritated glare at him over top of Lily’s head, she had to stifle a giggle. Alex's face went from surprised to shocked and then smoothed into a bland sort of amusement.

  "What?" Matt asked his brother, frowning.

  "Nothing. " Alex started whistling.

  Ha, he’s totally fucking with Matt. Lily nearly laughed out loud, but managed to stifle it into a cough. "How will I get to the bed and breakfast? Do you guys have a taxi service or something? I'm betting not," she finally asked, breaking the moment when she couldn’t take it anymore. Matt looked like he was going to burst a vein in his head.

  "I can drop you at Betsy's first, then I'll take your car to my garage," Alex said, still casting amused looks at Matt over her head. "My shop is just down the street. "

  "I'll stay with you. Introduce you to Betsy," Matt immediately volunteered.

  Lily frowned. "I don't want to be a bother…" She trailed off as he shook his head.

  "It's no bother," Matt said, leg held rigidly.

  Lily's hand twitched. She wanted to smooth it down his thigh until he relaxed. She twisted her fingers together. No touching the gorgeous guy. Chances are he's not even thinking about you.

  "That way we can make plans for dinner," Matt continued. "That is, if you were serious about your offer?"

  Lily stared at him, dumbfounded. Out of the corner of her eye, she could tell his brother was smirking. "Uh, yeah. I'd like that," she replied, grinning at him like a twit as she tried to cover up her surprise. Dinner? With Mr. Hottie? Hell yeah, I’m not going to pass that up. She surreptitiously pinched herself. Yup, not a dream. She'd been joking earlier about dinner. He'd taken her seriously?

  "Great. " Matt smiled at her. The little wrinkles at the corners of his eyes made him even more attractive.

  "Here we are," Alex said, pulling over and idling the truck.

  Lily startled and looked away from Matt’s lovely, lovely eyes. She hadn’t even realized they’d made it into town.

  Matt opened the door and jumped out. He held out a hand to Lily. She scooted across the seat and put her palm in his. He helped her down. She looked around. They were on a pretty little street, like something out of a post card. The old Victorian house directly in front of them had a long porch and a lovely garden. A small sign proclaiming it "Betsy's Bed and Breakfast" gently swung in the breeze. The sign was painted white with grey letters and a tiny bunny in the corner. Lily smiled, charmed.

  "Do you need anything from your car?" Matt asked, closing the truck door. "It looks like you've got it stuffed full. "

  "Yes, let me just get my overnight bag," she replied, walking around to the back of her SUV. She looked at it, at a loss. It was still hooked up to the tow truck and her rear door was angled too close to the ground for her to climb in if she opened it. No way was she getting into it from the back. "Can I just open one of the doors?"

  Mat reached out, opening the door closest to the sidewalk. "Sure. "

  Lily climbed in and rummaged around until she grabbed the bag she wanted. Thank goodness she'd stuck it on the floor so she could get at it easily. "Thanks. "

  Almost before Matt closed the door, Alex was pulling away.

  "Wait! I don't know where he's taking my car…" she said, about to run after the tow truck, but it was already too late. "Well, shit. "

  Matt laughed. "Don't worry. I know where he's going. "

  Lila frowned at him. "What kind of towing business does he own, anyway?"

  "He actually does towing on the side. Alex rebuilds old cars and auctions them off. His garage is just down the street. See the sign?" He pointed.

  Lily squinted. "The building with the—" She cocked her head. "Is that a chrome bumper on the side of the building?" It was just down the street, as Alex said earlier. She felt a little better, knowing she could easily walk there.

  "Yup. That's Alex's place. "

  "That's not just a bumper. That's the whole side of a car!" Lily shaded her eyes to see better in the late afternoon sunlight. "It's a freaking Oldsmobile. What, did he cut it in half and glue it onto the garage?"

  Matt chuckled. "Pretty much. He found it in a junkyard. It seems to suit the business. And no one really has trouble finding Alex's garage. " He reached for the wooden gate and opened it, grabbing Lily's bag as he waved her through.

  Lily cast him a bemused glance. She wasn't used to this kind of courtesy. Her husband never held open doors for her— No, I'm not thinking about him anymore. He's dead and it's time to move on. She firmly shut the lid on that train of thought and headed down the sidewalk. So what if she had to take an extra deep breath or two to deal with her stupid, watering eyes? She was just smelling the irises that lined the walkway. Sometimes she had allergies, right?

  "Matt, what are you doing with my new guest? That is my new guest, right?" An older woman stood on the porch, slightly plump, silver hair done in a fashionable bob. She wore long silver earrings.

  "I'm bringing her to you, Betsy," Matt said, urging Lily up the path.

  Lily smiled as she stepped into the shade of the porch. "Hello. I'm Lily Solton. " She held out her hand.

  The woman took it, holding it for a moment instead of shaking it. "I'm Betsy Larson. Call me Betsy. Welcome to my place. " She smiled and let go of Lily's hand. "Was that Alex's tow truck I just saw head on down the street?"

  Lily sighed. "Yes. Unfortunately. My car got a flat. The little spare tire would never have been able to haul all my stuff without getting shredded on the way into town. "

  Betsy shook her head. "Oh dear. Well, no matter. Let's get you settled in. "

  Betsy led the way into the house. It had a fairly large foyer with wooden floors and a curved staircase along the wall on one side. Pretty braided rugs lay scattered over the dark hardwood floors. Betsy walked over to a large desk on the left side of the space and sat down, opening a laptop. "Hmm, yes. Here you are. " She clicked a few times, then looked up. "Oh, you're still here, Matt?"

  He nodded. "I'm taking Lily out to dinner. "

  Lily almost laughed aloud at the look of surprise on Betsy's face. She recovered quickly, however, nodding and pasting a friendly smile over her face. "I see. " She still stared at him.

  Lily waited a beat, then gently interrupted the old woman’s reverie. "If you could just show me to my room? I'd like to change and maybe take a nap for a little while," Lily said when neither Matt nor Betsy made any further comments. "It's only three—not quite time for dinner just yet. " She gestured to the old clock on the wall.

  "Of course! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep you waiting. It's just, well, Matt is our resident hermit. " Betsy was definitely laughing at him now.

  Lily raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

  Betsy nodded. "Yes, indeed. He spends all his time locked away in that giant cabin of his, writing his books. "

  That's the second mention of Matt's books, Lily mused.

  "In fact, I don't think he's been on a date even once since he got back from the military," Betsy said, eyes twinkling.

  Matt crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh, not you too. Between Stephanie and Matt, believe me, I don’t spend nearly as much time alone as I’d like. And I haven't been on active duty for ten years. I'm not a hermit, you know. " He looked disgruntled.

  Lily grinned. "You don't have the scraggly grey beard and bald head to be a wise, old man just yet. " She bit the inside of her cheek, trying to hold back
laughter. "Hmm, maybe an outlaw. " She squinted, trying to picture him with a holster and gun. “You’re a little scruffy. ” She waved her hand at his cheeks where he had the faintest shadow of stubble along his jaw.

  He rolled his eyes at her. "Oh great. You're trying to picture me with a Colt, aren't you?"

  She snorted. He had her pegged already. "And a cowboy hat," she said quickly. "Maybe some stirrups. " She cocked her head. “A whip or two?”

  He scowled good-naturedly. "I haven't ridden a horse in years. "

  "I've never ridden a horse," Lily said, grinning. “Believe me, I won’t judge you for it. ”

  His hazel eyes went bright and he cocked his head as his gaze swept over her, but he didn't say a word. What just happened? Lily wondered. Suddenly uncomfortable, she quickly turned to Betsy. "You said something about showing me my room?"

  Betsy nodded. "Of course. It's this way. "

  "How about six for dinner?" Matt called to her as she walked away, voice low.

  Lily glanced back. "You were serious?"

  He nodded. "Yes. " He didn't elaborate.

  Lily licked her lips, suddenly hot. "Okay. Six it is," she heard herself say. Matt was staring at her intently. She hoped he didn’t regret his offer.

  "See you then. " He tipped an imaginary hat at her and walked out of the bed and breakfast. Lily watched his perfect ass move inside his cargo shorts. Damn, he was good-looking.

  "He's a handsome one, isn't he?" Betsy said, smiling.

  Lily nodded, watching him walk down the sidewalk, hard shoes clicking on the stones. "Does he really write books?" she asked absently.

  "Oh my, he sure does. His latest is still on the bestseller list. "

  "Which bestseller list?" Lily asked, following the older woman down the hall.

  "The New York Times list, dear," Betsy replied, pulling a key from her pocket. "His latest book is 'Tunnel View. '"

  Wait, what? "He's Matt Swift?" Lily tried to wrap her mind around that little tidbit. It couldn't be true. Matt wrote those novels? No one knew who the author really was. He didn't give interviews. He never did book signings or readings. Rumor had it the man was a recluse, somewhere up north… Lily laughed. It fit. Somehow, she knew it was true. “Ha. He really is a hermit. ”